France has begun transporting rails and rail equipment to Ukraine - France is helping Ukraine abandon Soviet railroad standards and is actively participating in the expansion of the network, and bringing it up to European standards

https://x.com/intermarium24/status/1879936828058530161

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The way things are now, when Ukraine has a shipment of aid or otherwise from another nation, the rail shipment has to stop at a station and have the cargo placed onto the soviet standard rail-line.  But, this will end all of this nonsense and make the nation harder to invade as well.  The russians won't be able to ship in by rail anything, making their own logistics puzzle much more difficult.  

Bessent says heavier sanctions on the way for Russia


https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/01/16/trumps-treasury-secretary-pick-scott-bessent-testifies-live-before-senate-on-tariffs-dollar.html

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Booyah, i may support this administration after all

Sanctions need to be backed up by military support, Russia's economy is fucked either way, whether they continue the war or whether the war ends tomorrow, Russia's economy will collapse, so Putin will just keep going now until he gets some sort of major win. Sanctions on their own do not stop tyrants from doing tyrannical things, it's good news that heavier sanctions will come but if its not backed by military action then Russia will just continue throwing bodies into the grinder and continue to slowly take more land from Ukraine.

I agree wholeheartedly, and I took this piece of news as a sign that America will still support Ukraine in the next administration, at least to some degree.  That's the big picture which we need to pay attention to instead of the individual pieces of this ( sending whatever kind of aid).  Also, intel support will be very useful.  CIA, constant radar imaging, etc will be needed.

Iran and Russia have signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement following a meeting between Putin and Pezeshkian, – Russian media reports. Details of the deal remain unknown, but a similar agreement between Russia and DPRK previously led to DPRK troops fighting alongside Russia.

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— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) 17 January 2025 at 15:40

Too many ifs in his speech:

if I'm confirmed, and if President Trump requests as part of his strategy to end the Ukraine war,

Trump won't embarass his best buddy. Nice copout construction for Bessent, though. A true politician.

2000 Ukrainian Air Force troops are to be moved to infantry since that group has the highest losses.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/45613

From reading the article, it seems more a hypothetical rather a commitment. He says he would support them if Trump wanted to use them to make Russia negotiate Ukraine surrender rather than saying he plans to implement them.